Moi! I am moving to Scottsdale, Arizona soon and I know very little about the trails there. Can anyone tell me of organized clubs for Mountain bikers or decent places to Mountain bike in that area? Now I know there are many surrounding mountains but I'm still quite the novice and would prefer something near and only mildly intense. I'll appreciate any tips/help I can get. I'm looking forward to being able to ride all year-round! =D

I have not been in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area in years but there are a whole shyte load of trails with in riding distance. A fun place to ride that a lot of my buddies go to is South Mountain. As the name implies, it is on the South side of Phoenix. Any shop around there should be able to tell you where the good trails are.

What I did when I lived there was step out my door, decide which hills/mountains looked good and headed of to them. Most of the trails are not too difficult but if you are there in mid summer you will have to get used to riding in the 120 degree heat. It is not as bad as it sounds but you should carry two H2O bottles and a 100oz hydration pack. Possible get some light shin guards for those untimely scraps with the cacti and rocks

I bike at South Mountain all the time. Theres trails for every level of riding. It is located like said before, in South Phoenix. Theres also Papago Park which doesn't have the intensity that South Mt. has to offer, but can also be fun. It is located on the Tempe, Scottsdale border. Then theres McDowell Park up in Fountain Hills and if you are in North Scottsdale this will be very close to you. Theres so much out there in the Phoenix area, I've been here 3 years and havent come close to riding half of whats out there. Hope that helps,

The east side of the Phoenix valley (east Mesa specifically) has good riding areas too. Usery Park is good for easy to moderate trail riding. The Hawes/Red Mountain has very good moderate to technical riding areas. I ride these trails since I only happen to be a few minutes away from them, Hawes/Red Mnt I can see from my house though. As said before, a good bike shop can tell you of close areas to you and other riding spots in the area, along with maps at times. Hope that helps.